Introduction: Nearing the end of our journey through the Song of Songs, we now find the Shulamite girl in the company of her brothers. On her arrival in safety at her home, her brothers, according to their promise, rewarded her greatly for her virtuous conduct while in the captivity of King Solomon.
In this study, we will learn from a Hebrew idiom. An "idiom" is a figure of speech having a meaning not determined from those of the individual words.
* For example, one might say that it is "raining cats and dogs" or that a person has "seen the light." The meaning is clear even though there are no cats, dogs, or light.
1. The Shulamite's brother speaks. - Song 8:8a
"We have a little sister..."
- We know it is her brother who speaks here for obvious reasons.
- He is saying "our sister is still young." In earlier days, this was what her brothers said about her.
- Before she was taken from her home by Solomon, her brothers were angry with their "little sister." This is seen in Song 1:6, "... my mother's children were angry with me; they made me the keeper of the vineyards; but mine own vineyard have I not kept."
- They, at first, did not want their sister to be involved with this shepherd boy. In Song 2:15, they said to her, "Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes."
- Here, she told the court ladies what her brothers did to hinder her from seeing her shepherd. They gave her a job to do. She was assigned the task of catching the little foxes that would surely ruin their grapes.
- They apparently thought their sister was simply too young and irresponsible to be engaged.
2. The idiom he uses. - Song 8:8
"We have a little sister, and she hath no breasts..."
- This Hebrew idiom was used by her brothers to say that she was too young to get married; she was not "marriageable," meaning, "not yet fit, suitable, or of the right age." In other words, they thought of her as too immature for marriage.
3. The question he asks. - Song 8:8
"...what shall we do for our sister in the day when she shall be spoken for?"
- In those days, the girl could be spoken for, that is, demanded in marriage.
* 1 Samuel 25:39, "And when David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, Blessed be the LORD, that hath pleaded the cause of my reproach from the hand of Nabal, and hath kept his servant from evil: for the LORD hath returned the wickedness of Nabal upon his own head. And David sent and communed with Abigail, to take her to him to wife."
- What would they do for her? What they would do was dependent on what she had done and how she had behaved in her absence.
4. The answer is given. - Song 8:9
"If she be a wall, we will build upon her a palace of silver: and if she be a door, we will inclose her with boards of cedar."
- There is no need to read into this more than what is written. The answer was two-fold:
* "If she be a wall, we will build upon her a palace of silver..." If she kept herself pure and was like a wall that kept out all intruders, they would reward her greatly and continue to honor and protect her. They would "build her, rebuild her, establish her, and cause her to continue."
* "...if she be a door, we will inclose her with boards of cedar." If she didn't keep herself pure and was like a door opened to anyone and everyone, they would "shut her up, show hostility to her like she was an adversary; they would treat her as an enemy."
- Up until this point, they do not know how she has lived in her absence. However, they are about to find out how she has lived!
- Like many brothers, they had a low opinion of her to begin with. They didn't trust her. They didn't think she was very mature.
In that the Song of Solomon is a song picturing Christ and believers and their relationship with one another, we find here another picture of an event yet to take place. God will hand out different degrees of reward in Heaven. It would be unthinkable to believe that a Christian, who has served the Lord for all of his life, will get the same reward as the one who wasted his Christian life.
- Good works with right motives for Jesus will be honored with reward.
- Evil works will suffer loss, so says the Word of God.
When we get to our Heaven, what will the faithful Christian receive?
- A Heavenly home; John 14:1-2, "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you."
- Jesus; Revelation 22:4, "And they shall see his face..."
- Rewards; these are rewards we are to lay at the feet of our Saviour.
* An incorruptible crown. - 1 Corinthians 9:25, "And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible." This crown is for all believers who have kept themselves under subjection.
* A crown of rejoicing. - 1 Thessalonians 2:19-20, "For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming? For ye are our glory and joy." This is the soul winner's crown. Those, who have faithfully witnessed for Jesus and brought souls to Him, will receive this crown.
* A crown of righteousness. - 2 Timothy 4:8, "Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing." It is not for those who cannot wait for our disappearing at the rapture, but for those who love His appearing.
* A crown of glory. - 1 Peter 5:1-3, "The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away." This is for the faithful pastor, that servant of God who faithfully feeds the flock.
* A crown of life. - James 1:12; Revelation 2:10, "Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him." (James 1:12) "Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life." (Revelation 2:10)
When we get to our Heavenly home, what will the unfaithful Christian receive?
- A Heavenly home; do not worry, this is secure by the promise of God. "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out." (John 6:37)
- Again, he will see Jesus but may not be happy to see Him. He may be ashamed to see Jesus in that day.
- A loss of reward:
* "Again, When a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumblingblock before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand." (Ezekiel 3:20)
* "But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die." (Ezekiel 18:24)
* "Therefore, thou son of man, say unto the children of thy people, The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression: as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall thereby in the day that he turneth from his wickedness; neither shall the righteous be able to live for his righteousness in the day that he sinneth. When I shall say to the righteous, that he shall surely live; if he trust to his own righteousness, and commit iniquity, all his righteousnesses shall not be remembered; but for his iniquity that he hath committed, he shall die for it." (Ezekiel 33:12-13)
* "If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire." (1 Corinthians 3:14-15)
Conclusion: The Word of God says in 1 John 2:28, "And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming."
When Jesus comes, will He find us faithful? Will He find faith on the earth? What will He find in us? Fanny Crosby penned "Will Jesus Find Us Watching?"
When Jesus comes to reward His servants,
Whether it be noon or night,
Faithful to Him will He find us watching,
With our lamps all trimmed and bright? (Refrain)
O can we say we are ready, brother?
Ready for the soul's bright home?
Say, will He find you and me still watching,
Waiting, waiting when the Lord shall come?
If, at the dawn of the early morning,
He shall call us one by one,
When to the Lord we restore our talents,
Will He answer thee, "Well done"? (Refrain)
Have we been true to the trust He left us?
Do we seek to do our best?
If in our hearts there is naught condemns us,
We shall have a glorious rest. (Refrain)
Blessed are those whom the Lord finds watching,
In His glory they shall share;
If He shall come at the dawn or midnight,
Will He find us watching there? (Refrain)